Tamil Nadu is considering allowing restaurants to operate alongside TASMAC bars under its next round of liquor-bar tenders, state Prohibition and Excise Minister Vignesh said in Coimbatore. The proposal is intended to address complaints that food served at TASMAC bars is being prepared and supplied in unhygienic conditions.
Speaking to reporters on September 17, the minister said the proposal was still under consideration and would be included as an option in the tenders expected to be issued shortly. The statement does not specify the number of bars that could receive permission to operate restaurants, the licensing conditions, or the standards that applicants would have to meet.
The proposed change would link liquor-bar licensing with food-service operations, creating a new regulatory responsibility for the department and the successful tender holders. The minister did not announce a separate inspection mechanism or explain whether food preparation would be conducted inside existing bar premises or through independently licensed kitchens.
Vignesh also said liquor is being procured equally from 11 companies, without discrimination based on their association with the ruling or opposition Dravidian parties. He said the department would focus on FL2 outlets, known as “Manamagizh Mandrams”, after TASMAC shops are brought fully under proper procedures.
The minister said disciplinary action against TASMAC employees who charge more than the printed price of liquor bottles would continue until the issue is resolved. The statement did not provide the number of employees suspended or specify the timeline for ending the additional-price complaints.
A separate waste-management measure is also moving towards procurement. The department plans to install reverse-vending machines at 4,000 TASMAC shops to collect empty liquor bottles carrying a Rs 10 sticker. According to the minister, the tender for the machines is scheduled to be opened on October 5. The arrangement is intended to support the return of empty bottles, but the statement did not provide details on the collection network, contractor responsibilities or the final treatment of the recovered glass.
Vignesh said media questions during his interactions largely focus on TASMAC, which is why his responses are centred on the department. He added that the government’s broader objective was to create a drug-free Tamil Nadu. No further implementation schedule was announced for the proposed restaurant permissions or the new tender conditions.
